Electronic finding aid was encoded in EAD 2002 by
Michael D. Montalbano on March 3, 2010. Description is in English.

This collection documents the events surrounding Sepharad ’92, an event and an
international Jewish committee to commemorate the five-hundredth anniversary of the Jewish expulsion
from Spain as part of the Spanish Inquisition. The committee, headquartered in New York City,
developed programs that sought to educate the public through a variety of approaches about the
expulsion and the relocation of Spain’s Jewish population throughout the world. Such programs included
educational curriculum, exhibitions, interfaith gatherings, concerts, and conferences.

In 1992, the World Sephardi Federation created Sepharad ’92 an international Jewish committee to
commemorate the five-hundredth anniversary of the Jewish expulsion from Spain as part of the Spanish
Inquisition. The committee, headquartered in New York City, developed programs that sought to educate
the public through a variety of approaches about the expulsion and the relocation of Spain’s Jewish
population throughout the world. Such programs included educational curriculum, exhibitions,
interfaith gatherings, concerts, and conferences. The committee with assistance from Tel Aviv
University began the reconstruction of the medieval Jewish quarters in Barcelona, Gerona, and Seville
in addition to the school of translators in Toledo. In celebrating the return of many Jews to Spain, the committee sought to honor the
contributions of Jews to Spanish culture and to commemorate their expulsion.

This collection documents the events surrounding Sepharad ’92. These include clippings in newspapers
from around the world that provided coverage of events related to commemoration of the events taking
place. It also includes the correspondence between the events organizers and other organizations, of
particular interest is a folder devoted to the efforts of the Spanish government and the World
Sephardi Federation at reconciliation. The topic of Jewish expulsion from Spain and subsequent
migration to Turkey is a subject covered throughout the bulk of the collection. Material related to
this topic includes teaching material, museum program guides, lectures, and articles.

The arrangement of this collection has been imposed by the archivist do to the received state of the
material. There were several labeled folders of material upon receipt of the collection; these
original folders have been maintained in this arrangement. The remaining material was unorganized
upon receipt and subsequently arranged based on intellectual content. The material is arranged by
record type and content in alphabetical order.

Other material related to this collection are the records of the American Sephardi Federation and the records of Sephardic House, located in
the American Sephardi Federation holdings at the Center for Jewish History.

Arrangement:

The arrangement of this collection has been imposed by the archivist do to the received state of
the material. There were several labeled folders of material upon receipt of the collection; these
original folders have been maintained in this arrangement. The remaining material was unorganized
upon receipt and subsequently arranged based on intellectual content. The material is arranged by
record type and content in alphabetical order.

Scope and Content:

This collection documents the events surrounding Sepharad ’92. These include clippings in newspapers
from around the world that provided coverage of events related to commemoration of the events
taking place. It also includes the correspondence between the events organizers and other
organizations, of particular interest is a folder devoted to the efforts of the Spanish government
and the World Sephardi Federation at reconciliation. The topic of Jewish expulsion from Spain and
subsequent migration to Turkey is a subject covered throughout the bulk of the collection.
Material related to this topic includes teaching material, museum program guides, lectures, and
articles.

Box

Folder

Title

Date

1

1

Articles

undated, 1990-1992

The Jews of Sicily by Gaetano Cipolla

The History of the Turkish Jews: A Brief Review by Naim Güleryüz

Background Papers for the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Memorial Foundation for
Jewish Culture. The papers presented include:

The Spanish Exile and the Holocaust: A Study in Jewish Spiritual
Response to Catastrophe by Eliezer Schweid

Jewish Reactions to the Expulsion from Spain by Moshe Idel

Religious Responses to the Holocaust: Retrospect and Prospect by Sir Immanuel Jakobovits

1

2

Bibliographic Resources

undated

1

3

Books - Christopher Columbus and the Great Voyage of Discovery (Children's Book)

undated

1

4

Books - Our Story: The Jews of Sepharad

1991-1992

These were published by The Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education:

Celebrations and Stories by Kordova, Lea-Nora, Annette and Eugene Labovitz

You are the Historian by Sugar, Robert

A Resource Guide by Hessel, Carolyn Starman

1

5

Books – Sephardi Voices: 1492-1992

1991

1

6

Books – Teaching Material

1991-1992

Exile 1492: The Expulsion of the Jews From Spain: Unit 1: The Story of the Jews
in Spain - Text and Work books by Steve Israel

A Curriculum on Five Hundred Years of Turkish Jewish Experience: Major Aspects
and their Present-Day Significance published by the Quincentennial Foundation of Istanbul

1

7

Clippings (1 of 2)

undated, 1973, 1990-1997

1

8

Clippings (2 of 2)

undated, 1973, 1990-1997

1

9

Clippings – Maps

undated

1

10

Correspondence and Memos of Andre Sassoon

1990-1992

Box

Folder

Title

Date

2

1

Correspondence and Memos of Jerry Goodman

1990-1992

2

2

Essays

undated

The Sephardic Sojourn: Retelling the Story by Jerry Goodman

Why Study About Sephardim? unknown author

Spain and the Sepharadi Heritage by Shlomo Ben-Ami

Fragments of an essay by Samuel Pisar

2

3

Girona Museum and Institute (1 of 2)

1993-1995

2

4

Girona Museum and Institute (2 of 2)

1993-1995

2

5

Hadassah

1992 May

2

6

Lectures

1987

Presentation of Sefarad 92 in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem by the President
of the Comision Nacional Quinto Centenario on 1987 September 7

The Jewish Contribution to European Culture: A Saga of Blood and Hope by
Samuel Pisar to the Symposium on Jewish Sephardic and European Culture on 1987 April 10